Originally Posted By FaMulan <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10239782/" target="_blank">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10 239782/</a> "Rep. Randy “Duke†Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges involving the sale of his home two years ago to a defense contractor at an inflated price." Another reason to vote out all incumbents. And yes, I know this person has announced he's not running again.
Originally Posted By ADMIN <font color="#FF0000">Message removed by an administrator. <a href="MsgBoard-Rules.asp" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the LaughingPlace.com Community Standards.</font>
Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2005-11-28T194132Z_01_MOL866823_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-CUNNINGHAM.xml&rpc=22" target="_blank">http://today.reuters.com/news/ newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2005-11-28T194132Z_01_MOL866823_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-CUNNINGHAM.xml&rpc=22</a> >>U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a California Republican, resigned on Monday after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for help in securing Defense Department contracts. Cunningham, 63, made his announcement after entering his guilty plea on felony charges in San Diego federal court. The eight-term Congressman and decorated Vietnam War veteran had already said he would not seek re-election in 2006. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, when he could be ordered to spend 10 years in prison and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.<<
Originally Posted By StillThePassHolder Where is Darkbeer's link to this news sotry? This is a San Diego congressman after all and a Republican. Hmm??
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< In a statement, prosecutors said Cunningham admitted to receiving at least $2.4 million in bribes paid to him by several conspirators through a variety of methods, including checks totaling over $1 million, cash, rugs, antiques, furniture, yacht club fees and vacations. >>> Nice. This guy was the chairman of the House Intelligence subcommittee on terrorism and human intelligence. I'm glad we have such upstanding people looking after our nation's vital security interests. <<< Cunningham's pleas came amid a series of GOP scandals. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas had to step down as majority leader after he was indicted in a campaign finance case; a stock sale by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is being looked at by regulators; and Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff was indicted in the CIA leak case. >>>
Originally Posted By Darkbeer ^ It does go both ways, looks like Senator Reid will also get caught taking bribes.... <a href="http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_276.shtml" target="_blank">http://onlinejournal.com/artma n/publish/article_276.shtml</a> >>The Abramoff saga is more than one sordid tale of an insider gone wild; it's a vivid narrative of how business is done in Washington. From legal maneuvering to backroom bribes and pay-offs, big business runs Washington politics and Abramoff is just one in a long line of power hungry lobbyists. At the heart of the Abramoff inquiry is the work he did for six Indian tribes during the 1990s up until 2004. At question is whether or not Abramoff along with his partner Michael Scanlon bilked at least $80 million from his clients, evaded taxes and violated lobbyist disclosure laws. There are a handful of politicians currently under scrutiny. Rep. Tom DeLay is the most notable, but now in the hot seat is Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana, Rep. John Doolittle of California and Rep. Robert Ney of Ohio, all Republicans, are reported to be the most central to the ongoing investigation. But on the periphery, and I'm told a potential addition to the aforementioned list in the near future, could be Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Last week the Associated Press reported that almost three dozen members of Congress moved to halt the construction of a Louisiana Indian casino while they simultaneously collected large donations from Jack Abramoff and his tribal clients. Senator Harry Reid was one of those elected officials. Reid sent a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton on March 5, 2002, which was also signed by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. "The next day, the Coushattas issued a $5,000 check to Reid's tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second Abramoff tribe sent another $5,000 to Reid's group. Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004," the AP reported. It was a political tit-for-tat. Reid opposed the construction of the casino and was paid handsomely for his choice. Another Democrat caught up in the legal chaos is former Senator John Breaux of Louisiana, who, according to tribal records, wrote Norton on March 1, 2002 about the same matter. Coushattas wrote a $1,000 check to his Senate campaign five days later and handed over $10,000 to his library fund. We've all heard how Tom DeLay was allegedly flown all over the country on Abramoff's clients' tab. But what we don't hear much about is that two Democratic congressmen, James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and now the vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, along with Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, now the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, were flown to the Northern Mariana Islands in the mid-1990s, paid in part by Jack Abramoff. And the list of Democratic culpability in the Abramoff affair goes on. Chances are high that the black cloud engulfing Washington will eventually rain down on both the Republicans and the Democrats.<<
Originally Posted By friendofdd Why would anybody be surprised that a California politician, dem or rep, is corrupt? If O've offended any californios, just substitute any state you wish.
Originally Posted By cmpaley Just remember...it's OKAY...if you're a Republican. That's why the Other Usual Suspects won't say much or will to the "look over there" thing and point at a Democrat.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 If Reid is guilty, he should pay the price like anyone. However, it's interesting that Darkbeer says Reid "will" be caught taking bribes when even the right-tilting site DB links to lists him as "peripheral" and says he "could be" a "potential" addition to the list of Republicans already under scrutiny. Meanwhile, Cunningham has pleaded guilty.
Originally Posted By friendofdd It is truly pitiful to try to attach corruption to an institution (political party), rather than the individual (in this case - politician).
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I've said that many times. Just playing with DB and his constant posting of Dem. malfeasance with titles like "ANOTHER example of Democrat corruption" yet never starting a thread with GOP equivalents.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer I said .. "looks like"... And I based that opinion on this quote from the AP... >>Reid sent a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton on March 5, 2002, which was also signed by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. "The next day, the Coushattas issued a $5,000 check to Reid's tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second Abramoff tribe sent another $5,000 to Reid's group. Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004," the AP reported. It was a political tit-for-tat. Reid opposed the construction of the casino and was paid handsomely for his choice. Another Democrat caught up in the legal chaos is former Senator John Breaux of Louisiana, who, according to tribal records, wrote Norton on March 1, 2002 about the same matter. Coushattas wrote a $1,000 check to his Senate campaign five days later and handed over $10,000 to his library fund.<< And it is coming clear that Rep. Cunningham lied, and I am shocked at the amount of them.... He pled Guilty, and will be sentenced, more than likely to 10 years under the plea deal. I hope that they will prosecute the folks that gave him the illegal money, and they will face the same fate as Rep. Cunningham has.
Originally Posted By friendofdd That's true, Dabob, but it is equally true of some of the lefties in W/E. Human nature seems to be *blame* when it is the opponent and *understand or ignore* when it is the ally. I have a tendency to think of the vast majority of politicians as rascals. And I consider very few to be my rascals. Something is seriously wrong with the system when most enter it to provide good public service and end up doing special interest service to the highest bidder.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Something is seriously wrong with the system when most enter it to provide good public service and end up doing special interest service to the highest bidder.> No argument. And DB, only that first paragraph was from the AP. The second was commentary from onlinejournal. And "looks like X will happen" is rather more certain-sounding than "could be... potential..."
Originally Posted By retlawfan Give credit where credit is due(a little at least): He did resign. He is doing the right hing now, and getting out, instead of continuing to fight it.
Originally Posted By ElKay Darkbeer: "And it is coming clear that Rep. Cunningham lied, and I am shocked at the amount of them...." That's just peachy to hear that from you. HOWEVER, it's not cool for you to hijack this thread about former Rep. Cunningham. Typically, a GOP/neocon trick to obsficate a pretty important news story with a speculative report that deals with a totally different issue. Cunningham's malfeasance is vastly more important than garden variety Congressional corruption since Cunningham plead guilty of extorting $2.4 million+ from a firm that was trying to get intelligence related government work when the country is supposedly at war with international terrorism. On the fact of this bribery/extortion pleading, the San Diego area firm could have been possibly deemed unqualified by the Pentagon or the US intelligence agencies for that sort of critical work and by using his Congressional authority, forced an inept or incapable contractor on the war on terrorism effort. It's always wrong for Congressmen/women to use illegal influence, but writting a letter in support of a ruling against ANOTHER Indian casino from the MINORTY leader hardly compares with the potential and possible harm that could result in influence peddling when it deals with US intelligence. So if you want to bring up Sen. Reid AGAIN, fine. Make a new thread, Darkbeer.
Originally Posted By ElKay "Give credit where credit is due(a little at least): He did resign. He is doing the right hing now, and getting out, instead of continuing to fight it." That's small comfort considering that he was caught redhanded both getting a cash deal on his house and living on the contractor's boat. What sort of defense could Cunningham use, racist judicial system? ;-)
